Blood Tipped Wings
by D.B.R Hazlewoode
Summary: Possible spoilers for anyone who missed last night's episode. A series of free verse and shorts centered around the team, mostly from 'The Grave Danger Job'. Will later continue with each new episode, or whenever I feel inspired.
1. Hardison

She spoke.

He listened.

He breathed.

And for just

once

During that heart stopping time

He was calm.

But the fear

the suffocation

the worry

Began to creep back in

when her voice lapsed.

He begged her

Pleaded, honestly,

Prayed that she would continue on.

She did.

And with her voice in his ear

Filling the empty silence of the coffin

He could think clearly again.

He floated off,

Mind on the future

(Their future, if he was any kind of lucky.)

He would live.

He decided it right

Then. He would be okay.

After all, all that

Orange soda in Nate's

Fridge wouldn't drink itself,

now would it?

Her voice was sharp in his ear

Again,

and he focused on her.

Focused on life.

On living.


	2. Eliot

He grabbed at the man

As soon as he emerged.

He knew he should say

Something.

Something kind

Something thoughtful

Something..normal,

Just this once.

But the words wouldn't come.

His mouth fell

Open

As they wrapped each other in an

Embrace.

Sure,

Ask him any day, and

Eliot would say that he tolerated

Hardison.

He'd say that he couldn't

Stand him most times.

But today..

Today, he'd nearly lost

The man who made him

Laugh

(Sometimes)

Yell

(Often)

and confused.

(Always)

Instead, he settled for a

Threat.

Typical Eliot.

"Don't do that

Again."

He felt Hardison shake his

Head

Chest still heaving as he

Gasped for

Air.

"I won't."

And he knew he

Wouldn't.

Eliot

Released him.


	3. Sophie

She heard the blows

From over the com.

Flinched with each

One.

She knew that it was

Nate.

She'd grown

Accustomed to his

Breathing

The sounds he made.

Hardison's voice

Grew fainter and fainter

Until

It

Disappeared.

"Nate?

Hardison?"

Nothing.

She tried

Again.

"Eliot?"

His voice crackled.

"Yeah, I got him.

Out cold.

Hardison's

Gone."

A rage filled her

A rage mixed with

Fear.

Nate still hadn't

Awoken.

"Nate?

Nate!"

Eliot received

No response.

He would be fine.

(As long as he woke up)

He _will _wake up.

(You can't know that for sure, can you?)

He has to.

(Well, that's it then. Can't live

Without

Him, can you?)

She heard a sharp

Intake of

Breath,

And Nate was

Back.

No one heard her

Sigh of

Relief.


	4. Parker

Her heart

Soars

when she sees him

Pulls him up

Watches him.

He's alive

And knowing that she had

Something to do with

It..

She wants to smile,

but she

Can't.

She's frozen.

He turns to her

Expectant

But still,

She remains

In place.

Motionless.

The moment passes.

She knows more will

Come.


	5. Nate

Groggy

Guilty

Shamed.

He feels these things as he

Sits up,

Struggles to focus,

Breathes.

Hardison is gone.

He's only down for a

Moment

Before his next move

Plans itself.

But they must move

Quickly,

Carefully,

Gently.

Because if they lose

Him

He will never forgive

Himself.

He will not be

Responsible

For

Two lives

Lost.

They hurry.

He makes his move.

Black King

White Knight

Indeed.


	6. Places: Eliot

Eliot watches

The team.

Sophie and Nate

Across from each other

Exchanging secrets.

Parker and Hardison

Heads together

Studying the touchscreen

Grinning like children

In a

Candy shop.

He sits.

Studies.

Places.

Everyone on the team

Has one.

Hardison

The hacker

with Parker

The thief.

Together, they

Create the

Illusion of

Romance.

Sophie

The grifter

and

Nate

The mastermind.

He's not sure

What exactly

They have.

But they're

Happy together.

And Eliot

The hitter.

Alone.

Somehow

He's okay

With that.


	7. Children: Sophie

Children.

That's what the team

Reminds her of

As they exit the

Airport.

Children.

Arguing about

Toys and names.

Silly, trivial things.

But it brings a small

Smile to her

Face.

It struck her that perhaps,

Just maybe

They are all making up for a

Childhood that they never had,

That they were cheated out

Of.

They are a family

Like it or

Not.

A dysfunctional one

But a family at best.


	8. Close: Parker

Close call.

So close

For a moment she even

Doubted herself.

The maneuver had gone

Exactly as

Planned.

They had what they

Needed.

Another life

Changed.


	9. Changed: Eliot

Just like that

Without a second thought

(Or a first one, for that

Matter)

He swipes the credit

Card

Buys what they need,

And exits.

But as he

Returns

A pang of

Something

Hits him.

What, he cannot

Tell.

Remorse?

Guilt?

Change?

Surely he wouldn't have

Grabbed a card from

Someone before?

He clenches his

Fist.

This is no different

Than what he does

Now.

Fighting.

It's still a game of

Give and

Take.

But the stakes are

Higher.

Always higher.


	10. Flying: Hardison

Flying.

It had been such a

Feeling

Such a rush.

Sure, he hadn't actually

Flown the plane.

Not in

Reality.

But he had helped

Land it.

He couldn't flown it

If he'd wanted to.

He could do anything.

Nate's voice

Crackled through his headset.

Almost anything, anyway.

With the help of

The team.


	11. Thirteen: Nate

Thirteen.

Girls, arguments, negotiations..

Thirteen.

He would have been a

Teenager.

His heart breaks

As he

Thinks

About what his son is

Missing.

What he is

Missing.

The talks, the dates, sports..

Everything.

Taken away

Much too soon

By someone with

Far too much

Power

Than he knew what to

Do with.

He'd thought it

A thousand times.

Why his son?

Why not him

Instead?

He sets his jaw

Takes a drink

Makes a promise.

He will save this boy

Because he could not save his own.


End file.
